I just had to jump on this one. In all honesty, both engines are very well made and if you perform the proper maintenance as per the manual or more frequently, either one will serve you well. Some guys on here will swear by one make while swearing at the other, its all personal preference. I have owned both with good results. Just remember that your equipment will treat you as good as you treat it. With that said I would go with the higher HP since you are going to be mulching.

Well I've had a about a dozen Kohlers and never had a repair. I would rate them just under the Kawasaki but not by that much. As I've said before I see more Kohlers with 2,500 hrs than anything else. Nothing wrong with Kawasaki's either. Some Kohlers have a little back fire when you shut them off I hear but none of mine have had the problem. I'd probably go for the Kohler with the extra hp. If they were the same hp I would probably goo with the Kawasaki.

After my experience with Kohler, the ONLY use I have for those engines is in the form of a trot line weight.

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That's funny, but you are probably talking to a number of people with no idea of a trot-line, or it's function.

Oh, an about the engines, there has never been any engine made for a mower that will start, idle, run at any rpm setting, start the blades at the lowest throttle setting without changing sounds, never a sputter, no choke to fool with and will crank perfectly at 20° or 100° with no oil usage than my 28 efi Kohler. I have run Kawasaki's and they are more temperamental, very good engines but a little more finicky with the choke, can't comment on the DFI.

An example, I got on a brand new Bobcat Predator Pro with the 37 Kawi and had to play with the choke before it would start and run on 4 different attempts, too finicky. Went an sat down on a new Hustler Super Z with a 28 efi Kohler, the engine turn over once and was purring like a kitten, never fluttered, while all the Kawasaki did was run very rough until the gas caught up with the engine. That is the Ford and Chevrolet scenario, it is what a person has good luck with.

In my mind its a no brainer. Kohler hands down no contest. After all the kawasakis we have owned over the years we have never owned a good one. We have never had one last over 1500 hours and they have had all kinds of other problems also. Modules going bad, hard to start etc etc. Kohler on the other hand we have actually never had one blow up and we have taken them over 3200 hours. Always easy to start and always hp for hp had more guts than the kawasakis and have been trouble free.

We rufuse to buy anything else if it has a kawi on it. Our new 160Z has a 25hp kohler and runs fantastic. Our 34Z has 15hp kawi with 1000 hours now and we are starting to get a little leary of the engine. Its been giving us some issues this spring and last fall. If and or when it blows it will get replaced with a kohler.